Downtown retail thread

[smeagolsfree]

I thought it may be a good idea to start a retail thread for the DT in Nashville. In the thread we can cover any new business's that locate DT. I am doing this for another purpose as well. Supposedly the Downtown Nashville assn. has hired a new retail recruiter. I would like to see what kind of results we get over the next couple of years.

The major news this week is that Mad Mod in the Berger building is moving to a new place on 4th ave south doubling the size of their retail space.

http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville.../17/story6.html

I hate to see it move out of the Berger building but am also excited to see who takes their space there. I don

[smeagolsfree]

This thread has not been active but it is a major component to the DT revitalization and urban development.

From the NBJ this week.

http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville...2101200^1584460

I think one of the keys to this article is that they have finally hired a DT recruiter. I do hope they are able to move forward with the renovation of the Arcade. I am also glad to see they are going to concentrate on the area of 4th and 5th between Church and Union.

[jice]

Very exciting stuff. I can't wait to see a renovated Arcade, along with new retail surrounding it on 4th & 5th. Not to mention what will happen around the new convention center, and the old one as well.

[bwithers1]

I agree about the Arcade. It seems pretty underutilized to me, although I am not usually downtown at lunchtime.

I did see the new Mad/Mod site today on my way to work this morning. I am a little bit skeptical about that location, but I am sure that they know what they are doing. My thought about the new site is that if you didn't already know about the store, you wouldn't stop in. There is no foot traffic in that area, ar at least not for furniture It's too bad that someone hasn't reused the 701 S 4th Executive (gentlemen's) club building, which is a cool structure aching for reclamation.

[Rural King]

The Arcade could definitely redeveloped a little bit (face-lift on the interior) and better utilized, although at lunch-time it does a heck of a lot of business. On the weekends though there are hardly any businesses open and/or traffic to warrant them to be, which seems a like an opportunity for development of more passive tourist shops and restuarants at the location and in the surrounding area.

[barakat]

The Arcade's exterior fa

[smeagolsfree]

A neat web site about the Arcade. It seems as if has been updated several times int he past. A few interesting photos here for sure.

http://www.nashvillewebreview.com/automat/...e/TheArcade.htm

I like the first one with the way the women were dressed. Very turn of the century.

[memphian]

Here's the kicker for downtown retail... Nashville still needs more residents in the core. It also needs more middle-class housing options such as apartments and the like. I think for sure a good start is to revive the 4th and 5th Avenues and the Arcade. I think there's a big untapped potential there. Plenty of good street-level options to look at. I also think the building that at one time housed Fifth/Third Bank (at the corner of Union and 4th) could be cool little department store if someone would just come in and take the plunge.

[jcoop]

Article from today's Tennessean about hiring a retail recruiter to help establish downtown shopping again

Nonprofit wants to revive downtown as shopping hub

Personally I think it sounds like a great move...even if it is tough to attract at first, it will just take getting the few pioneer stores, they will have growing success as downtown residential numbers continue to grow, and then other stores will want to come in for competition.

[timmay143]

Good article. I think this is a step in the right direction also.

[Hankster]

Great news indeed. Let's hope this will help jump start the move of additional retail outlets downtown.. I think it's inevitable that they will come, and come in large numbers. I just hope the wait for that to happens is not too long. I still hope that a "signature" major retail development will be announced fairly soon, maybe in conjunction with the new Convention Center project, or possibly in the Gulch.

[ATLBrain]

You know, I think that a collection of factory outlet stores downtown would do well. They could be like the old place in downtown chattanooga (Warehouse Row) and done very nicely with brick and have restaurants and such. I think that would be a good start and would dovetail with the convention center very nicely. Isn't that what 100 Oaks' salvation was until Vandy came along?

[dakota]

^^ The outlet portion of 100 Oaks was a pretty spectacular failure. It didn't help that the mall design was hideous and the outlets attracted were sub-Opry Mills.

[Duke32]

Too bad the Church Street Center was 15 years ahead of it's time. It would be brilliant in today's downtown climate.

[titanfan24]

Yep,

They need more options downtown for shopping and food. The recruiter idea is a good one.

[smeagolsfree]

Here is another article for you guys. This one has to do with all of the Art Galleries that have opened in DT over the last year or so. DT is becoming a destination for buyers for sure. I didn't realize that the upper level of the Arcade has a lot of Galleries as well.

http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville...3310800^1590873

[Hankster]

Too bad the Church Street Center was 15 years ahead of it's time. It would be brilliant in today's downtown climate.

How true. If it had somehow survived, it would be experiencing a Renaissance today and all of downtown Nashville would be the beneficiary. I long for someone daring enough to start up another Church Street Center type development in downtown Nashville today. It would be a winner, IMO.

[barakat]

^ I'd rather see a successful street-fronting, urban retail experience like 16th Street in Denver.

[memphian]

While I like the new library I cannot agree more that Church Street Center should have been saved. They could have put the library one block west just as easily. I am not sure how well Church Street Center would survive without an anchor store though. It pretty much tanked when Castner Knott closed. Would be good if we still had Castner's. Hard to believe that only 12 years ago we had both a mall and a department store downtown.

Nashville needs more people willing to take a step forward, we have plenty of people who are just content with the way things are.

[smeagolsfree]

Maybe this new retail recruiter can make a difference. It would be nice if there were a large enough vacant building to house a large department store DT. The only one I can think of will be demolished if and when the Federal Courthouse is built.

[Hankster]

^ I'd rather see a successful street-fronting, urban retail experience like 16th Street in Denver.

I think a Church Street Center type project would lead to this type development as well. The bottom line is, the more people living downtown, the higher the probability someting like Church Street Center or 16th Street Denver get built in Nashville. The people are moving in. Sooner or later it WILL happen. I hope this retail recruiter can make it happen sooner rather than later.

[jice]

I dont know if this counts as downtown retail.. but..

There is talk of possibly closing the Post Office located inside the downtown Arcade.

Public Meeting: Possible Closure of Arcade Post Office

Mon, Jun 29. Main Library's Auditorium. 615 Church Street. 872-5711. 6 - 7 pm. Free. The United States Postal Service is considering closing the Post Office located in the Arcade and relocating those operations to the Broadway Station (901 Broadway) located at the Frist Center. Opportunity to discuss this proposed closure and possible alternatives.

[smeagolsfree]

That would be sad news. The Post Office has been in the arcade for a long time. There are a lot of PO Boxes in there as well. I think that DT Nashville needs a PO in the CDB for sure. I know there is a station in the old PO building and of course the Charlotte st. location, but they are a bit far from the CBD.

[jice]

A few misc. findings...

Copper Kettle.. Downtown location sales have surpassed Green Hills location!

Opry Originals.. a new shop at Broadway & 3rd, opened maybe a couple months ago? Pretty much any Opry souvenir you can think of... and also drinks and desserts.

Earthbound Trading Co... just down from Opry Originals.. opened 3-4 months ago I think. Kinda odd.. you normally see these shops in malls.. but hey! it's cool.

Abernathy Road.. on 2nd ave.. don't know much about this one.. http://www.abernathyroad.com/

[smeagolsfree]

Thanks for the info and keep looking for those hard to find facts.